


Team Up

by SaraJaye



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Age Difference, Bonding, Drabble Collection, F/F, Foeyay turned to HoYay, Gen, Hero-Villain Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, Odd Friendships, POV First Person, Parental Issues, Slice of Life, missing dads, pop culture references here and there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-13 02:37:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11175246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: A collection of stories in which Team Ash and Team Rocket are capable of getting alone.





	1. It's A Gender Thing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cypsiman2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cypsiman2/gifts).



"That does it, Misty! I have a bone to pick with you and you're going to sit here and listen!" My rant had been brewing for quite some time now, and I was determined to have it out with this brat.

Unfortunately, she didn't seem at all fazed.

"Can you at least make it quick? I need to go rescue Ash and Brock from that old woman's rest house," she muttered. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, how dare she not be afraid?! I stomped my foot and made a slapping motion with my right hand.

"Your twerpy friends can wait!" I snapped. "You, Misty, are one of the most selfish people I've ever met! I'm sick of you being so mean and self-centered and taking what's mine!"

"Excuse me?! I've never taken anything from you, you're always the one who's trying to take from _us!_ " she cried.

"I'm not talking about Pokemon or possessions! I mean..." Great, now I felt like I was going to cry! "Jessie's spending all her time shopping with you lately and she never has time for me!" I whined. So much for intimidating the little brat, now she looked like she was going to laugh at me...sure enough, she did.

"Jessie told me you were like an overgrown kid, but had to see it to believe it!"

"It's not funny!" I snapped. "Look, I'm all for Jessie having other friends, but every time I see you together you're off in your own little world squealing and giggling and you keep giving me these funny looks! The twerp and the big twerp notice it too, just the other day they said they were afraid you were plotting against them with Jessie!"

"You boys are so _silly!_ " Misty said. "It's just what girls do when they're together...I mean, I bet if you hung out with Ash and Brock you'd be doing things Jessie and I would find weird and scary!"

"Well...I guess you're right about that," I muttered...and then I smirked. Two can play at this game! "So if I were to go play cards with your friends and we started making funny noises on our armpits and laughing like Beavis and Butt-Head, you wouldn't be upset?"

"Why would I? As long as no one's feelings are getting hurt."

Again, she had a point. We may be enemies, but sometimes those kids aren't so bad.

"Well, Meowth should be happy he doesn't need to hide his friendship with Pikachu anymore," I said, and we both laughed heartily.


	2. Common Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessie is melodramatic and Ash realizes he can sorta relate to her. Almost.

Given the circumstances it could have been much, much worse. At least this time they were within walking distance of a Pokemon center when the pack of wild Ursarings attacked.

But it still didn't change the fact that Ash was stuck with one of his worst enemies, and he knew he couldn't turn his back for a minute or she would steal Pikachu and run away faster than he could blink. That thought always scared him, he thought as he glanced over at a sleeping Pikachu, that one day Team Rocket would actually do it right.

"This isn't fair," he grumbled. "Why does this stuff always have to happen to me?"

Jessie glared at him.

"You think _you_ have it bad?! Why, you presumptuous little brat, try being _cold_ and _hungry_ and _poor_ and _oppressed_ all your life! Why, my family was so poor we had to eat snow!"

Ash raised an eyebrow.

"...I didn't ask for your life story, okay?" But she was too caught up in the throes of her dramatics to listen.

"Nothing but snow...and the other children were _mercilessly_ cruel to me, every teacher I ever had said I was a disappointment..." She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead as she did a little twirl. "My mother disappeared on a mission when I was but a tot, I never knew my father..."

This caught Ash's attention.

"...you never knew your dad either?"

She blinked, thrown out of her theatrics as she plunked down on the bed unceremoniously.

"No..." She looked genuinely confused. "Don't tell me we have actually have something in common!"

"Yeah." Ash looked down. "My mom says he left to become a Pokemon master just after I was born, and she never saw him again." He closed his eyes. "What happened to your dad?"

Jessie moved a little closer to the kid. _This is too weird._

"My mother said she didn't even remember him. They spent a night together, and the next day he went missing," she said. "I know he's dead, though, my mother said the cops eventually found his body on the sidewalk after he fell off a roof and cracked his head."

Ash shuddered.

"How old were you when she told you?"

"About five, maybe almost six."

 _That explains a lot,_ Ash thought.

"Mom doesn't even know whether my dad's still alive or not. She used to get letters, but one day they just stopped and she eventually gave up waiting for him to come home," he said.

"Jeez, that's tough." Jessie reluctantly put a hand on his shoulder. "Um...sorry to hear that. Must've been hard, growing up with one parent."

"Not really, my mom's great! And Professor Oak's always been like a second father to me anyway...but you, if what you said before about your life was true, I guess you really do have it worse," he said.

"Actually, I made everything up except for the parts about my parents, and eating snow," Jessie admitted. "But it was awesome how I totally had you fooled!" she cackled. Ash rolled his eyes.

"Somehow I had a feeling. Still, if you had to eat snow-"

"It wasn't that bad!" Jessie said. "If nothing else it was year-round free ice cream!" Ash couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"So. Guess you and me...we're not that different after all, huh?"

"Well, I'm still light years cooler and more fashionable than you'll ever be, but yes."

Silence.

"So...what's on TV?" Jessie asked. Ash grabbed the remote and began to flip around.

"Oh, hey, I remember this show! ...wow, how old _are_ these news clips?" Ash laughed.

"Wow, Helena the weather lady was my age when this one came out!" Jessie commented. And so they sat there, watching old news clips and laughing the rest of the night.


	3. In A Different Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash suddenly has Feelings about the guy who used to try to mug him.

Somewhere along the line, Ash began to realize James wasn't as bad as his Team Rocket uniform made him out to be. When he wasn't stalking him and his friends or trying to kidnap pokemon from their trainers and homes, he almost seemed... _nice._

He was more goofy than he was evil, Ash figured, and he was always kind to his pokemon. He'd given up a life of wealth and privilege for Jessie and Meowth. Most bad guys weren't such kind pokemon trainers or loyal friends.

 _Or so good-looking,_ Ash realized one day much to his chagrin. Even if James wasn't the enemy he was still another guy, and _way_ older than him to boot. _Dammit, maybe he **is** evil after all! Damn you, James, making me wonder if I'm not straight!_

Then again, he'd never felt like this about other guys. Or girls. James was some weird exception.

Over the years, Ash continued to see James in this different light. Eight years later, when he'd accomplished his goal of Pokemon Mastery and Jessie and James left Team Rocket to run a flower shop, the former enemies' paths crossed once again.

"I almost didn't recognize you without Pikachu on your shoulder," James chuckled.

"Yeah, he's helping my mom and Mimey around the house," Ash said. "I almost didn't recognize _you_ without the big red _R_ on your chest."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" James rubbed the back of his head. "Um...you're looking well!"

"Yeah, you too. Nice place," Ash said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "So..."

"So..."

Silence followed, then James cleared his throat.

"I have a break coming up soon," he said. "Would you like to do something?"

"S-sure, I'd love to!" Ash smiled. A few minutes later, they were sitting in a cafe sipping coffee and reminiscing about old times.


	4. Been There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jessie doesn't know why Misty needed to drag _her_ along on some quest to find out about her parents. But it's not like she can't relate.

I don't know why I bothered to tag along with her. If the twerpette wants to go on an epic journey of self-realization or uncover some dark mystery of her past, let her do it alone! I have better things to do with my time. But for some stupid reason she begged me to go with her and I did. I don't know why.

Except, deep down, in a place I'd rather not touch, I _do_ know why. Her parents, she said, they went missing in a shipwreck and never came back. She wants to find them if they're still out there, or at least know if they survived. It's a pain I know all too well, and I hate it.

"I just never knew what to _believe,_ " she sighs after the twentieth person she's asked can't give her any info. "Are they really dead? And if they survived the shipwreck why didn't they come back?"

"Maybe they lost their memories," I offer lamely.

"Maybe." Finally, we've reached our last destination...the home of the old ship captain. "He was the last person to see them alive," she whispers. She knocks, he lets her in and I wait outside. I keep myself busy by counting the apples in his trees, briefly consider taking a few for when I go back to James and Meowth so we can have something other than peanut butter sandwiches and instant noodles.

Hours later, the door opens and she slowly walks out...one look at her and I can tell it ended badly. I stand up and follow her down the path, feeling slowly returning to my butt after hours sitting on that cold stone step.

"He doesn't even remember." Her shoulders shake and she hugs herself tightly. "I don't know why I expected him to...I don't know why I expected _any_ answers. I'll never know, will I?" Her tears spill over as she throws herself against me, and I hug her. Because I felt the same way when I realized no one could tell me if Mom was still alive or not. She and I weren't the closest, she was always giving me to daycare centers and foster homes, but she was my _mother._ If nothing else, it would have been nice to know why she never bothered to spend more time with me.

"I'm so stupid," Misty continues. "Why did I even bother trying in the first place?!" God, what do I _say?_ She's so completely crushed I don't have the heart to be brutally honest with her, but I don't want to sound like a greeting card! So I fall back on what one of my teachers told me after my mother disappeared. Corny, but the girl might need to hear it right now.

"Look...whether they're dead or alive, you can be sure of this. They would be very proud to see you today." She sniffles, pulling back to look me in the eye.

"Come with me, I want to show you my favorite place." I blink, but follow her anyway. She leads me back to the Cape, to a small hill overlooking the sea.

"This is..."

"They call it a lovers' spot, but I've never heard any rules against bringing friends." She gives me a tiny smile, and suddenly I feel all warm and fuzzy.

"It's beautiful."

We sit there for the rest of the evening, looking up at the stars, watching their reflection sparkle against the sea. She leans against me, and I let her, patting her shoulder a little.

Coming here was the best stupid choice I ever made.


End file.
